By David "Los Gatos" Rosenberg
Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum has given Floyd Mayweather Jr. until Saturday to get the ball rolling on a late-May welterweight unification with Manny Pacquiao, according to information provided to Sports Illustrated. Mayweather, who is scheduled to return on May 5th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas - will have to agree to a date in late May - but Arum is willing to bend on the venue. Arum will back away from his plan of an outdoor venue and stage the fight at the MGM Grand.
Arum proposes a 50-50 deal, but the veteran promoter is only willing to guarantee Pacquiao's 50%. A third party, Golden Boy Promotions or otherwise, will have to guarantee Mayweather 50% of the take. If someone guarantee's Mayweather's 50%, and both sides agree to a date in late-May, then Arum says the fight can be "made in ten minutes."
If the ball is not rolling by Saturday, then Pacquiao will return on a date in June - against either Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez, Timothy Bradley or Lamont Peterson.